Driving cars and motorbikes, the attackers stormed Dioura army camp in the Mopti region, in the latest assault on the military as the country grapples with the spread of extremist groups and instability. “The provisional toll is 21 bodies discovered,” said a military source, in figures also confirmed by a local legislator. The attack was carried out “by terrorist groups under the command of Ba Ag Moussa, a deserter army colonel”, according to the Malian armed forces. A second military source said there was “a lot of damage”. In June 2015, Mali’s government signed a peace agreement with some armed groups, but the jihadists remain active, and large tracts of the country remain lawless.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 17, 2019 22:18 UTC